


The End

by skylinesunflowers



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: F/M, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29705754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skylinesunflowers/pseuds/skylinesunflowers
Summary: The loss outweighs the gain.
Relationships: Ted Mosby/Robin Scherbatsky
Kudos: 2





	The End

It only takes Ted three minutes to realize that this won’t work out.

He’s back in Robin’s apartment and it feels like years ago, when the night air was sobering and she kissed him. The morning he went back home and found Lily gone.

Now who’s the one breaking the Bro Code?

Not that Barney lives that lifestyle anymore. He’s doing well, co-parenting Ellie with Emma-Number 31. Seeing this sweet girl who works at the bank.

Ted remembers that Robin doesn’t know this. Because she’s not friends with them anymore. She’s an idol, that celebrity that people point out in old yearbooks and say they used to date.

It’s been, what, ten years since he’s last had some kind of deep conversation with her? They’re both different people now.

He remembers seeing her peek into the hospital room all those years ago, hair the same length as it is now. Avoiding Lily, and Marshall, and Barney.

Ted remembers hearing her say goodbye.

Then, he remembers never seeing her again. And that hurts more than it should.

Robin looks him in the eye, and her accent is less pronounced, but it feels the same for a second. It feels like they’re younger people. Like Ted could go back to before he became so damn tragic.

God, what is he thinking? The rain, and his kids, and he got caught up in the moment, and this is the worst idea he’s ever had. Worse than the one with the lion head stonework.

Lily and Marshall, busy as they are, get together with him once a month. Barney tries his best to do the same. They close down MacLaren’s, just for old time’s sake.

He doesn’t do the same with Robin. How can he?

She’s his ex-girlfriend, but worse than that, she’s Barney’s ex- _wife_. This isn’t even about the Bro Code. This is about being a friend.

Robin’s still talking, so he takes a deep breath and cuts in. “No. I have to go.”

And she gives him a look, and this is Ted’s last chance with her, he knows it in his bones. She’s going to yell at him, and then she’s going to call him an idiot. Is he fool enough to wait around?

Ted leaves the blue French horn on the table, water still dripping from it, and picks up Tracy’s yellow umbrella. He is not a coward. He’s ready to move on.

Just not with Robin.

The defeat in her face—the silence—is almost too much to bear. So Ted doesn’t look at her on the way out.

What was he thinking? He has two kids and values Barney’s friendship more than he knows. This was a bad idea.

He steps out into the rain and the cold, and Robin opens up the window. He can hear it. She’s yelling something, but Ted doesn’t want to listen.

He keeps walking, glancing out into the city. It’s his only defense.

There’s an apartment building to his left. Through the window, Ted can see a man sitting on the floor next to a kid, maybe playing board games. That’s Barney.

And the window next door? It’s a family of five, gathered at the dining table, one of the kids in a high chair. Easily Marshall and Lily, Marvin, Daisy, and Violet.

He crosses the street, looking out for oncoming buses. Ted’s made his choice.

He’s picked his kids, his friends, his happiness over a fantasy, an idol.

Once, they could’ve coexisted. Once, he and Robin could’ve stayed friends. In a perfect life, the five of would still close down MacLaren’s, and Tracy would still be here. Maybe they’d have another kid on the way.

Ted’s happy with his choices. That’s how he got here in the first place.

He doubts he’s going to regret this one. After all, the loss outweighs the gain.

Isn’t that what economics is all about?


End file.
